Gel pad insert to protect and cushion pelvic region

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a gel pad insert and a garment, which is worn by a user when engaged in activities such as horse riding or cycling. The gel pad insert is shaped to fit comfortably between the legs of the user and to fasten into the crotch area of the underwear or shorts or pants or like garment of the user. The gel pad insert is comprised of a gel material and has a smooth low-friction upper surface of the gel material and a fabric lower surface. The smooth low-friction upper surface of the gel pad insert is worn directly against the skin of the user to reduce discomfort or friction or pressure, and to protect or cushion the pelvic region when said pelvic region is subjected to friction or pressure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a gel pad insert which is to be attached within a garment and worn by a user, when the user is engaged in activities such as horse riding or cycling, where the gel pad insert protects or cushions the pelvic region of the user and prevents injury to the pelvic region of the user when said region is subjected to friction or pressure.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a gel pad insert, which is to be used in association with a pair of underwear or shorts or pants or like garment, to protect or cushion all or part of the pelvic region of the user including, but not limited to, the pubic bone or the seat bones or the crotch or the buttocks or the upper thighs, when said areas are subjected to friction or pressure, where the gel surface of said gel pad insert is in direct contact with the skin of the user, whereby reducing said friction or pressure, and reducing injury related to said friction or pressure.

It has been found in instances where persons are involved in an activity that results in continuous friction or pressure being applied to a portion of the body that said friction or pressure can result in discomfort or injury, where said injury can include, but is not limited to, rubbing or chafing or abrasion or bruising or bleeding or breaking of the skin.

Such activities include horse riding or cycling or like activities, where said pelvic region is subjected to friction or pressure for a period of time sufficient enough to cause discomfort or injury.

In horse riding, it is a primary goal of an educated equestrian or an equestrian student, to sit in a balanced position over the horse's centre of gravity and to move in rhythm with the horse. The nature of riding can make this a very difficult and sometimes impossible task, due to discomfort or injury created through excessive friction or pressure in said pelvic region of the rider.

Furthermore, in the case of horse riding, the appropriate body movements for horse riding, particularly in said pelvic region, can result in considerable discomfort or friction or pressure for the rider, which can result in said injury.

Furthermore, in the case of horse riding, some inexperienced riders, due to imbalance or lack of strength, can suffer from unequal pressure in said pelvic region, which can result in considerable discomfort or friction or pressure for the rider.

Furthermore, in the case of horse riding, during long training periods in the saddle or when riding in an uncomfortable or ill-shaped or hard saddle, the rider can suffer from discomfort or friction or pressure in said pelvic region which can result in said injury.

Furthermore, it is a characteristic of horse riding, and in particular with those riders who lack experience, that the body of the rider cannot move in rhythm with the horse which can result in the rider impacting the saddle, and in particular the pommel of the saddle (i.e., the raised portion at the front of the saddle and in front of the rider), or the seat of the saddle (i.e., the portion of the saddle directly beneath the rider) which can result in repetitive or unusually heavy contact or friction with said saddle.

Furthermore, it is a characteristic of horse riding, and in particular with those riders who are more experienced, that the rider sit on and use the “seat” (i.e., the muscles within the triangular area of the rider's body formed by the rider's two seat bones behind and by the rider's pubic bone in front) and that most of said rider's weight is directed down through the saddle in the area found within said “seat”, and by nature of this task said “seat” is subjected to potential discomfort or injury whereby reducing or eliminating the rider's effectiveness, and risking lasting damage to said “seat” where said damage is detrimental to the rider's continued sporting performance.

Similarly, cyclists experience friction-related injury or pressure-related injury due to the body position required when cycling. By nature of the shape of the cyclist's saddle seat, considerable friction or pressure is applied to all or part of the pelvic region, including but not limited to, the pubic bone or the seat bones or the crotch or the buttocks or the upper thighs of the cyclist.

Furthermore, with regards to long cycling periods or when riding in an uncomfortable or ill-shaped or ill-fitting or hard saddle seat, the cyclist can suffer from additional friction or pressure in said pelvic region which can result in considerable discomfort or injury, including but not limited to, rubbing or chafing or abrasion or bruising or bleeding or breaking of the skin.

Technical Problems of Previous Inventions and Prior Art

Previously, persons involved in sports which involved pressure being applied to portions of the body for extensive periods of time, such as horse riding or cycling, may have worn, beneath their sporting garment, conventional underwear which may be formed of a simple woven material such as being a cotton or cotton-synthetic blend or a specialty padded garment or a specialty pad insert where said pad is covered with a cotton or cotton-synthetic blend or a natural or synthetic chamois cloth or like material, or a sheepskin pad insert as sited in U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,281, or other specialty garment, where said cotton or cotton-synthetic blend, or natural or synthetic chamois cloth or sheepskin or like material is in direct contact with the pressured portions of the user's body.

I have found the disadvantages of wearing conventional underwear or like garment beneath sporting garments is conventional underwear lacks a cushioning pad to absorb pressure and, furthermore, the cotton or cotton-synthetic blend fabric of the woven crotch area of said underwear is in direct contact with the user's skin and said woven crotch area creates an abrasive surface against the skin of the user, and whereby can result in friction-related injury. I have found conventional underwear to lack the properties required to eliminate friction-related injury or pressure-related injury.

I have found the disadvantage of wearing a padded garment or a pad insert within a garment where said pad is covered in a cotton or cotton-synthetic blend or like fabric or material, and said fabric is in direct contact with the user's skin is said fabric creates an abrasive surface against the skin of the user, and can result in friction-related injury. I have found padded garments or pad inserts to lack the properties required to eliminate friction-related injury or pressure-related injury.

I have found the disadvantage of wearing a natural chamois-covered pad attached within a garment or a natural chamois-covered pad insert within a garment or a specialty garment with an attached natural chamois-covered anatomically shaped groin pad is the natural chamois covering can result in friction-related injury. I have found a garment where chamois cloth is in direct contact with the user's skin to lack the properties required to eliminate friction-related injury or pressure-related injury.

Technical Problems Addressed

It is an object of this invention to reduce the friction or pressure between the user's skin and the user's garment and provide a smooth, low-friction gel surface as one side of a shaped gel pad insert, which can serve to alleviate the difficulties which have been found to occur in circumstances where the pelvic region of a person is subjected to friction or pressure conditions such as when riding a horse or cycling or like activity.

In one form, this invention resides in a gel pad insert to be secured within a pair of underwear or shorts or pants or like garment, of the user, where the gel pad insert is to be worn between the skin of the user and said garment, where the gel pad insert is configured to overlie all or part of the pelvic region which may include, but is not limited to, the pubic bone or the seat bones or the crotch or the buttocks or the upper thighs of the user, where said pelvic region is subjected to friction or pressure, and that said gel pad insert is formed on one side by a smooth gel surface and that the other side being a fabric layer and that when secured in its usable position, the smooth gel side of the gel pad insert is in direct contact with the skin of the user and that the smooth gel surface reduces friction or pressure to the area, and the reduced friction or pressure eliminates friction-related injury or pressure-related injury including rubbing or chafing or abrasion or bruising or bleeding or the breaking of the skin or other like injury, and that the fabric side of the gel pad insert includes a fastening device, such as a hook of a hook-and-loop fastening device and the underwear or shorts or pants or like garment include a fastening device, such as a loop of a hook-and-loop fastening device so, when in use, the gel pad insert is secured in position, and when not in use, the gel pad insert can be removed.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the gel pad insert has the characteristics or properties of a thermoplastic elastomer or a silicone elastomer including a composition that is durable or long wearing or does not cause allergic reaction in most persons or resists microbial growth or resists fungal growth or is washable with soap and water or, when molded into the appropriate shape, provides a flat, low-friction gel surface that is smooth or slippery or slick or supple or pliable or flexible or springy or cushioned, and where said surface is in direct contact with the pressured areas of the user, said surface reduces friction or pressure and reduces or eliminates discomfort or injury related to such.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The description of one specific embodiment is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of smooth side of a gel pad insert.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of fabric side of a gel pad insert, with the hook side of a hook-and-loop fastener attached

FIG. 3 is an end view of a cross section taken along line A to A′ of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of a pair of underwear having a gel pad insert according to the embodiment located therein.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the crotch part and its vicinity of the underwear shown in FIG. 4, viewed from the inside of the underwear, where said gel pad insert of FIG. 1 is not attached.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the crotch part and its vicinity of the underwear shown in FIG. 4, viewed from the inside of the underwear. The gel pad insert (FIG. 1) is attached.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, the embodiment relates to a specifically shaped gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) which overlies all or part of the pelvic region of the user where said gel pad insert is used in association with a garment such as a pair of underwear or shorts or pants or like garment (4), where said garment has been modified (FIGS. 4-5)(5)(6) to accept the secured attachment of said gel pad insert (FIG. 6).

The embodiment relates to a gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) which is used in association with a garment (4) to be secured over an area of the body when said area of the body may be subjected to friction or pressure where friction or pressure may be excessive and cause discomfort or injury.

The embodiment relates to a gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) which is to be used in association with a pair of underwear or shorts or pants or like garment (4), which are to be worn by persons who are involved in an activity requiring them to be positioned for an extensive period of time such that excessive friction or pressure may be applied to contact points in all or part of the pelvic region of the body. In particular the embodiment has application for use by persons involved in horse riding or cycling or like activities.

The embodiment comprises of a shaped gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) formed through the process of injection molding of a thermoplastic elastomer gel or a silicone elastomer gel or a like material (1).

One surface, henceforth known as the ‘upper surface’ of said gel pad insert, is to be the smooth low-friction gel surface of a thermoplastic elastomer gel or a silicone elastomer gel or like material (1). When in use, said smooth low-friction gel surface of said ‘upper surface’ of said gel pad insert is to be located directly against the skin of the user (FIG. 6)(1).

The other surface, henceforth known as the ‘lower surface’ of said gel pad insert, is to be covered with a fabric material (2). Attached to said fabric material is a fastening device (3), such as a strip of the hooked component of a hook-and-loop fastening device so when in use the gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) is secured in position in the garment (FIGS. 4 & 6), and so, when not in use, the gel pad insert can be removed.

The configuration of said gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) is such that when worn within a garment (FIG. 4)(4), it will overlie all or part of the pelvic region of the user which includes but is not limited to, the pubic bone or the seat bones or the crotch or the buttocks or the upper thighs of the user, where said area is subjected to friction or pressure.

As a result the gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) can be manufactured in select predetermined shapes as said shape will be determined by all or part of pelvic region area to be covered by the user, where said select predetermined shape may include but is not limited to, oval (FIGS. 1-3) or round or rectangular or winged or T-shaped or other shape to cover select predetermined area of said pelvic region.

As a result of testing it has been found that the skin of the user, when in direct contact with the gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3), does not stick to the smooth, slick, thermoplastic elastomer gel or silicone elastomer gel, or like material (1) upper surface of said gel pad insert whereby serving to reduce friction or pressure otherwise experienced under normal conditions and whereby improving the comfort of the user when engaged in activities such as horse riding or cycling or like activities.

If desired, the gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) can be removed from said garment (4) when not in use.

In addition, the gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) is easily washed after use.

The underwear or shorts or pants or like garment (4) into which the gel pad insert (FIGS. 1-3) is attached, is to be modified (FIG. 5) to accept the removable secure attachment of said gel pad insert (FIG. 6). In one embodiment of said garment, the crotch area (5) shall be modified to reinforce the section accepting the secure attachment of the looped (6) component of a hook-and-loop fastening device so when in use said gel pad insert is secured in position in the garment (FIGS. 4 & 6), and so, when not in use, said gel pad insert can be removed.

In addition, the underwear or shorts or pants or like garment (4) can easily be washed after use.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiment described above. 

1. A combination of a pad insert and a garment, where said pad insert is adapted to be located within said garment, where said pad insert is worn between a user's skin and said garment, where said pad insert is being configured to overlie all or part of the pelvic region of said user, where said pad insert has a body of a certain material and where said pad insert has a low-friction upper surface in contact with said user's skin, and where said pad insert has an opposite lower surface, where said lower surface has attachment means mounted on said lower surface.
 2. A pad insert, as claimed at claim 1, where said low-friction upper surface is comprised of a gel material, where said gel material is having properties of a thermoplastic elastomer or a silicone elastomer, including smooth or durable or long wearing or does not cause allergic reaction in most persons or resists microbial growth or resists fungal growth or is washable with soap and water, whereby said properties allow the user's skin to move in contact with said low-friction upper surface without injury where said user's skin is subjected to the forces of friction or pressure.
 3. A pad insert, as claimed at claim 1, further comprising an adaptation to said attachment means including the hook side of a hook and loop fastening device, whereby said pad insert may be removed and attached to a garment where said garment is modified to accept attachment of said pad insert.
 4. A combination of a pad insert and a garment, as claimed at claim 1, where said garment includes a pair of underwear or a pair of shorts or a pair of pants or a pair of trousers, where said garment has attachment means mounted in the crotch or pelvic area of said garment, where said garment is worn by said user.
 5. A garment, as claimed at claim 4, further comprising an adaptation to said attachment means including a fastening device, such as the loop side of a hook-and-loop fastening device so that said pad insert may be removed and attached to said garment. 